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1. Talk to your teens. Teen drug addiction occurs more often in families where parents do not have discussions with teens about the danger of drug and alcohol abuse. Informed teens have all the facts needed to just say no, and studies show that they are more likely to abstain than teens who do not have open communication with their parents.

2. Monitor the activities of your teen. Often substance abuse goes unnoticed because parents want to give teenagers some space and privacy, but that does not mean that you should not monitor where your teen goes, what they do, and who they hang around with.

3. Many parents are surprised to learn that teen drug addiction often starts in the home. Always keep any prescription medications that have the potential for abuse under lock and key to prevent your teen or one of their friends from accessing these drugs.

4. One of the most common forms of substance abuse when it comes to teens is alcohol. While it is illegal for minors to drink this is not a deterrent in many cases, and it is common for teens to consume alcohol that is easily accessible on the premises. Lock up the beer, wine, and liquor if there will not be any adult supervision.

5. Let your teens know what the boundaries are, and what the consequences are if these boundaries are breached. This will help to prevent teen drug addiction. Teenagers may seem to chafe at rules but the truth is that adolescents need to have rules and boundaries in place to protect them from their own foolish choices and decisions.